back of the net!, excl. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

back of the net! excl.

[football jargon, meaning the ball has entered the net and a goal has been scored]

1. a drinking toast, an encouragement to drink or eat.

1981

A. Payne ‘You Need Hands’ in Minder [TV script] 45: matthews: Here’s to tomorrow. arthur: Cheers. vern: Back of the net. [Ibid.] 64: Come on Vern. Back of the net!

2. an excl. meaning wonderful! perfect!

2003		‘Alan Partridge’ in Virgin Inflight Mag. 1 Apr. n.p.: I’ve got a girlfriend, she’s 33, I’m 47 . . . Back of the net!
2006		Guardian Rev. 10 June 18/4: [heading] Back of the Net!
2012		Guardian CiF 29 July 🌐 Back of the net!
2018		Times 6 Jan. 🌐 Back of the net! Janice Turner 10 - Toby Young 0.
2021		Twitter 20 Dec. 🌐 Satire works best when you get a call from @OliverDowden asking if he can use this as the press briefing this evening. Back of the net! Bravo.
2023		L Inglis Twitter 5 June 🌐 Pals pals pals, I just had my exam results back and apparently I am now a reasonably top intermediate Spanish speaker. Back of the net.